Paper-bag machine.



PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

E. G! WESTERVELT. PAPER BAG MACHINE. APPLICATION PILEDAUG. 1. 1905.

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No. 858,047. PATENTED JUNE 25. 1907. I E. 0. WESTERVELT.

PAPER BAG MAGHINE.

APPLICATION mum we. 7, 1905.

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I E. G. WESTBRVELT. PAPER BAG MACHINE.

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UNITED s'rA'pns PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND O. WESTERVELT, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

PAPER-BAG MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. June 25, 1907.

Application filed August 7,1905. Serial No. 273,096.

ing paper bags, and especially to the mechanism for forming the diamond fold which is made in forming the bag bottom.

Prominent objects of my invention are, to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive form of paper bag machine and the diamond folding mechanism; to prevent tearing or injury of the material from which the bag is formed during the process of makin it; to secure a high degree of efficiency; an to accomplish the foregoing and other desirable results in a simple and expeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of a paper bag-machine embodying my present invention; Fig. 2 is a view looking from line 2*2 in 'Fig. 1, showing some of the parts in section and some in elevation; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism disclosed in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine with certain parts removed and others broken away for convenience of illustration Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of the front gripping device; Figs. 9, and 11 are views of the bag blank during the process of forming the diamond fold, together with the mechanism therefor; Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are views of this diamond folding mechanism.

Referring first to Fig. 2, I have shown a main frame a provided with suitable draw rolls A and B, knife or cutting rolls C and D and feed rolls E and F. These can be of any suitable or well known construction, and form no part of my present invention. As a convenient arrangement, the roll D is mounted upon the main driving shaft (1 and the other rolls are gear-connected withthe shaft (Z by suitable gearing. The folding bed upon which the diamond fold is made is represented at D, and the presser plate which forms the primary transverse crease at H. The diamond folding mechanism comprises upper folding plates 1, 1, lower folding plates J, J and upper and lower folding nippers' K, K and L, L respectively. The front gripper which grips the forward end of the bag blank and holds the same during the formation of the diamond fold, comprises front gripping fingers M, N, and a lower gripping jaw 0. After the diamond fold is formed by this mechanism, the blank passes to feed rolls P and Q which may be of any usual or desired construction, and have no part in the present invention.

I will now proceed to describe the mechanism by which various devices hereinabove referred to are operated. The folding bed is carried by a pair of arms 2 and 2 which are mounted upon'a rotary shaft 1. The arms 2, 2 are loose upon the shaft 1 and are arranged to rock back and forth so as to move the folding bed G toward and away from the feed rolls E, F. This rocking motion on the part of the arms 2, 2 is secured by providing said arms with downwardly projecting extensions 3, 3, the lower ends of which are connected by a cross pin or shaft 4 (Fig. 1) the reduced ends of which extend through the extensions 3, 3 and are provided with-nuts 4, 4 by which the extensions 3, 3 are firmly bolted together, the upper ends of the arms 2, 2 being secured together by the folding bed G, whereby the arms 2, 2 and extensions 3, 3 are formed into a rigid rocking structure. At one side of this rocking structure is located a shaft 5 provided with a crank 6 connected by a connecting rod 7 with the shaft 1, by which arrangement the rocking structure or frame above described, is reciprocated or rocked to cause a reciprocating or rocking motion of the folding bed G.

The presser plate H is secured to the forward ends of a carriage, by swinging arms 10, 10 which are provided on a cross shaft or spindle 9 (Fig. 3) supported by lugs or ears 8, 8 on the folding bed Gr (Fig. 4). The sides of the folding bed are cut away at g, g (Fig. 4) to accommodate the swinging arms 10, 10. The arms 10, 10 are swung up and down to raise and lower the presser plate H by means of actuating mechanism consisting of an arm 11 carried by the spindle 9 a link 12 pivotally connected by a pin 14 with the arm 11 and also pivotally connected by a pin 15 with a rocking lever 13 which is pivoted to the arm 2 by a pin 16 (Fig. 2), and has its lower end provided with a roller 17 carried by a pin 18.

The roller 17 is acted upon by a cam 19 rigidly secured to the rotary shaft 1, so that upon the rotation of said shaft, the lever arm 13 is swung back and forth to elevate and lower the presser plate H.

The folding plates and nippers I, I, J, J, K, K and L, L are carried by reciprocating arms 22, 22 (Fig. 1) which are arranged on opposite sides of the machine and mounted on pivots 21, 21 supported by lugs 20, 20 on the rocking arms 2, 2, so that the arms 22, 22, by rocking about their pivotal points, can swing the folding plates in and out crosswise of the direction of movement of the bag blank through the machine. As these swinging arms 22, 22, and the folding plates carried by them, are actuated by similar mechanisms, I will herein describe only one of such mechanisms, referring to the right hand one in Fig. 1.

The arm 22 is provided with an outwardly extending projection 23 which is made in the form of a socket and receives the end of a rod or pin 24 carrying a cam roll 25 which cooperates with a cam 26 rigidly mounted on the. shaft 1. By such arrangement, the pro jection 23 is swung up and down, and the arm 22 swung back and forth in a sidewise direction, to move the folding plates and nippers I, J, K and L back and forth over the folding bed. The upper folding plate I' is rigidly attached to a shaft 28 (Fig. 1) which is supported inlugs or ears 27, 27 on the upper end of the arm 22. The shaft 28 is provided with a gear 29 meshing with a segmental gear 30 formed as a partof a rocker arm 31 which is pivoted on a pin 32 rigidly secured to the arm 22 by a set-screw 33 (Figs. 1 and 2). The rocker arm 31 is provided with a lateral projection 31 having a pin 34 to which is connected a link 35 whose lower end is provided with a pin 38 carrying a camroller 37 and secured to the end of an arm 36 mounted on the pin 24. The roller 37 is in contact with a cam 39 rigidly secured to the rotary shaft 1. By such arrangement the rotation of the shaft 1 causes the cam 39 to swing the link 35 up and down and thereby move the rocker arm 31 back and forth so as to turn the pinion 29 and thereby turn the upper folding plate I. The movement of this folding plate is from a substantially horizontal position in front of the shaft 28, upward and backward to a substantially hori zontal position in the rear of said shaft, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The upper nipper K is pivotally connected to the upper folding plate I by means of a pivot pin 40 (Figs. 1 and 12), whereby the nipper K can have a swinging movement relatively to the plate I about a transverse axis at the rear of the plate or nipper. A coiled spring 41 is coiled about the pin 40 and arranged to hold the nipper K normally the plate I as possible. Thus it will be seen that the nipper K will be turned or rotated upwardly, backwardly and then downwardly with the folding plate I, and at the same time will have an independent movement about its outer end or edge relatively to the plate I so as to permit its inner end to be raised or separated from the plate I, which has the effect of opening the jawor gripping device formed by the plate and nipper. The lower folding'plate J is loose upon the shaft 28, and is provided with a cam 42 (Figs. 12 to 14) which is arranged to co-operate with a finger 43 carried by the upper nipper K. Thus as the upper folding plate I and nipper K are swung backwardly, they are opened at a time whenthe finger 43 is actuated by the cam 42, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 14, that is, when the plate I and nipper K are above the plate J and nipper L, the former are in an open position. The nipper L is pivotally connected to the lower folding plate J by a pivot 44 having a spring 45 tending to hold the nipper and plate together or closed. The shaft 28 is provided with a cam 47 (Figs. 12 to 14) and the lower nipper L with a finger 46 adapted to co-operate with the cam 47 and thereby open the plate J and nipper L, as shown in Fig. 14.

The plate J and ni p per L, being loose upon the shaft 28, are capable of being rocked or tilted bodily in an up and down manner, with the shaft 28 as a pivot or axis of rotation; and as an arrangement for thus actuating said plate and nipper, the plate J is provided with an arm 48 (Figs. 1, 2 and 12) which carries a roller 49 supported by a pin 50. A cam 51 is rigidly secured to the arm 31 in such position that the roller 49 comes in contact with and rolls along the cam 51. The upper surface of the cam 51 is provided with a depression 51 by which the roller 49 is lowered in passing along the upper surface of said cam. By such arrangement, the plate J and nipper L will be swung downwardly by the movement of the cam 51 as brought about by the rocking of the arm 31 to which said cam is secured. The arrange ment is such that the upper folding plate I with its nipper K, are first turned upwardly and backwardlyby the gearing 29 and 30, and. as this movement is going on, the lower folding plate J with its nipper L, are swung downwardly by the movement of the cam 51 as brought about by the further movement of the rocker arm 31.

The form of front gripping device shown, consists of a pair of gripping fingers M and N anda gripping jaw O arranged below the fingers M and N. All of these parts are carried by a rocking arm 52 which is mounted loosely upon the rotary shaft 1 so as to permit it to rock back and forth independently of said shaft. The arm 52 is rocked by mechin a downward position,that is, as close to l anism consisting of a link 54 pivoted by a pin 55 to the lever 56, pivotally supported by a pin 57 secured to the swinging arm or support 2. The lever 56 has its lower end provided. with a roller 58 supported by a pin 59, and the rotary shaft 1 is provided with a rig idly secured cam 60 which contacts with the cam roller 58. In this way the gripping devices comprising the front gripper, are swung back and forth toward and away from the diamond folding mechanism previously described, and carried by the swinging or rocking supports 2 and 2.

The arm 52 is provided at its upper end with a block 61, to the front end of which I is pivoted the lower gripping jaw (Figs. and 6). The gripping fingers M and N are provided with spindles 62 and 63 which extend down into and through the block or support 61, and these spindles are pro vided with projections 64 and 65 located below the fingers M and N. The lower or projecting ends of the spindles 62 and 63 are provided with coiled springs 66 and 67 which tend to hold the spindles 62 and 63 turned in such position that the fingers M and N shall be swung toward each other. The lower gripping jaw O is pivotally connected with the block or support 61 by pins 70 and 71 extended through ears 68 and 69 on said support 61. The jaw O is provided with a .comcal projection 72 which is so located (Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive) as to come between the projections 64 and on the finger.

spindles 62 and 63. Thus it will be seen that the fingers M and N will normally be toward one another and the gripping jaw O in a downward position, whereby the front gripper will be opened, and that as the front gripper jaw O rises, the conical-projection 72 will, by reason of its inclined sides, force projections 64 and 65 away from one an other, spreading the fingers M and N.

As an arrangement for swinging the lower gripping jaw O to open and close the same, link 74 is pivotally connected by a pin 73 with the jaw 0 (Figs. 2 and 6) and is 6X- tended down to a lever arm 76 and connected with the same by means of a pin 77. The lever 76 is pivotally connected to the swinging or rocking arm 52 by a pin 75 secured to said arm 52, and said lever 76 is provided at its other end with a cam roller 78 carried by a pin 79. The roller 78 is in contact with a cam 80 rigidly secured to the rotary shaft 1. By such arrangement, the cam 80, by its rotation, swings the lever 76 about its pivot 75 and thereby causes the jaw O to swing up and down to open and close the same. The rotary shaft 1 is gearconnected with the driving shaft d by gearing indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The operation of the machine is as fol lows: Referring to Fig. 2, the tucked paper tube is drawn along by and through the rolls A and B to the rolls 0 and D, by which it is cut into bag blanks of proper length, in the usual manner. These bag blanks are fed along by the rolls E and F and under the presser plate H to the diamond folding mechanism. As the bag blank comes to this mechanism, the front gripper is open so that the front edge of the lower ply passes in between the gripping fingers hi and N and the gripping jaw O, as shown in Fig. 9. At this time also the folding plates 1, J and I, J are above one another, and the nippers thereof, K, K and L, L are opened so as to permit the two plies of the bag blank to pass between the respective sets of plates 3 and nippers, as also shown in Fig. 9. At this time the front gripper and the diamond folding mechanism are in their positions nearest to the feed rolls E and F. The folding bed, with its folding devices, and the front gripper, then move forwardly and the presser plate H moves down upon the bag blank, the folding devices and gripper closing down upon its side trucks and the front edge of the bag blank respectively, and the fingers M and N being spread out as the front gripper closes. As this movement continues, the upper folding devices I, I

and then downwardly so as to swing the upper ply of the bag blank upwardly and backwardly as shown in Fig. 10. During this movement, the lower folding devices J, J and L, L swing or tilt downwardly, as also shown in Fig. 10, and at the same time the front gripper swings or moves in toward the folding devices, as shown in said figure. As the folding process continues, the upper folding devices swing down into substantially horizontal position upon the folding bed, and the lower folding devices swing upwardly to their original positions, and the front gripper moves outwardly or forwardly away from the folding devices, ias shown in Fig. 11. Thus the diamond l fold is formed. The front gripper then opens and releases the front end of the bag blank, j and the folding devices move outwardly out of the "tucks thereof, and the bag blank passes on carried by feed rolls P and Q and is given the second transverse folds and 1 pasted in any usual or desired manner. The folding bed with its folding devices, and the front gripper, then return to their original positions and receive another bag blank which is acted upon and folded in the same way. This process is repeated again and again to fold as many bag blanks as desired.

It will be'seen that by moving the front gripper toward the folding devices during the formation of the diamond fold, and tilting the lower folding devices downwardly, the bag blank, and especially its lower ply, are relieved from strain tending to tear it, so that the diamond fold is made easily and effectively.

and K, K swing upwardly and rearwardly It will be understood that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In a bag machine, the combination of a folding bed, a front gripper adapted to grip both sides of one ply of the forward end of the bag blank, diamond folding mechanism, and means for moving the front gripper toward and away from said folding mechanism.

The combination with a front gripper adapted to grip the forward end of the bag blank and diamond folding mechanism, of means for moving the front gripper toward said folding mechanism during the formation of the diamond fold.

3. The combination with the front gripper adapted to grip the forward end of the bag blank and diamond folding mechanism, of means for moving the front gripper toward and away from the diamond folding mechan ism, and means for lowering the forward portion of said folding mechanism during the formation of the diamond fold.

4. The combination with a front gripper adapted to grip the forward end of the bag blank and diamond folding mechanism, of means for moving the front gripper toward the folding mechanism during the formation of the diamond fold, and means for lowering the portion of the folding mechanism acting upon the lower portion of the bag blank dur ing the folding operation.

5. The combination with a front gripper adapted to grip the forward end of the bag blank and means for opening and closing the said gripper, of diamond folding mechanism comprising folding devices for acting upon the upper and lower plies of the bag blank, means for opening said folding devices to admit the bag blank, means for swinging the upper folding devices upwardly, backwardly and downwardly and for swinging the lower folding devices downwardly, and means for moving the front gripper toward the folding mechanism during the downward .movement of the lower folding devices.

6. The combination of a reciprocating folding bed, with means for reciprocating the same, of folding devices mounted to reciprocate with the folding bed and mounted also to swing back and forth in a sidewise di rection relatively to the folding bed, means for swinging the folding devices back and forth relatively to the folding bed, means for actuating the same so as to fold the bag blank, a presser plate for forming the primary crease and a reciprocating front gripper, and means for reciprocating the same back and forth, said means being adapted to move the gripper toward the folding bed during the formation of the diamond fold, and then move the same forwardly away from the folding bed to its former position relatively thereto.

7. The combination with a folding bed, of a rocking support or frame therefor, a presser plate carried by said folding bed, upper and lower folding devices carried by swinging arms pivotally supported by the rocking frame of the folding bed, whereby said arms can swing back and forth transversely to the direction of movement of the folding bed to move the folding devices over and away from the folding bed, means for swinging the u per folding devices upwardly and bac wardly and downwardly, means for swinging the lower folding devices downwardly, a front gripper carried by a swinging arm,

-means for swinging said arm so as to cause the front gripper to reciprocate back and forth with the folding bed, but to move toward the latter during the downward movement of the lower folding devices and thence away from the folding bed, and means for opening and closing the front gripper.

S. The combination with a folding bed, of a rocking support therefor, means for rocking said support so as to reciprocate the folding bed, a front gripper carried by a swinging arm, and means for reciprocating said swinging arm to cause the front gripper to reciprocate back and forth with the folding bed, but to move toward the folding bed during a portion of its reciprocation.

9. The combination with a folding bed, of a rocking support therefor, means for rocking said support so as to reciprocate the folding bed, a front gripper carried by a swinging arm, and mechanism for swinging said arm, comprising a link 54 pivoted to said arm, a lever 56 pivoted to said link, and a cam for actuating said lever.

10. The combination with a folding bed, of a rocking support therefor, comprising uprights 2, 2 having extensions 3, 3, a rotary shaft 1 upon which said uprights are mounted, a link 7 connected with the lower ends of said extensions 3, 3, a crank for actuating said link, a swinging arm 52 carrying a front gripper, and means for reciprocating said arm, comprising a link 54 pivotally connected therewith, a lever 56 pivoted to the upright 2, and a cam 60 rigidly secured to said rock shaft 1 and adapted to actuate the lever 56.

11. The combination of a folding bed, a front gripper, comprising upper and lower gripping jaws, a swinging arm 52 carrying said front gripper, means for swinging said arm so as to reciprocate said gripper toward and away from the folding bed, and means for opening and closing the gripper during the swinging movement of said arm.

12. A front gripper, comprising gripping fingers M and N, a lower gripping jaw 0 adapted to open and close relatively to the fingers M and N, and means for spreading the fingers M and N as the jaw O closes.

13. A front gripper, comprising fingers M and N mounted on spindles 62 and 63, said spindles being also provided with projections.

, thereby spread the gripping fingers M and N.

14. The combination with a swinging support 52 and means for swinging the same, of a front gripper carried by said support and comprising gripping fingers M and N and a gripping jaw O pivotally supported below the fingers M and N, the gripping fingers being mounted on spindles 62 and 63 provided with projections 64 and 65, and the gripping jaw being provided with a wedge 72 adapted to separate the projections 64 and 65, a link 74 connected with the gripping jaw O, and means for actuating said link 74.

15. The combination with a swinging support 52 and means for swinging the same, of a front gripper carried by said support and comprising gripping fingers M and N and a gripping jaw O pivotally supported below the fingers M and N, the gripping fingers being mounted 011 spindles 62 and 63 provided with projections 64 and 65, and the gripping jaw being provided with a wedge 72 adapted to separate the projections 64 and 65, a link 7 4 connected withthe gripping jaw O, a lever 76 pivotally connected with the link 74 and pivotally supported upon the swinging support, and a cam 1.9 for actuating the lever 76.

16. The combination of a folding bed, a rocking support carrying the same, a rotary shaft on which saidsupport is loosely mounted, a crank and connecting rod for rocking said support, a swinging arm 52 carrying a front gripper comprising gripping fingers M and N mounted on spindles 62 and 63 provided with projections 64 and 65, springs 66 and 67 011 said spindles, a lower gripping aw O pivotally mounted upon said arm 52 below the fingers M and N, a wedge 72 carried by said gripping jaw O and adapted to act upon the projections 64 and 65, a link74 connected with the lower gripping jaw O, a lever 76 pivoted at 75 to the arm 52, a cam 80 for acting upon the lever 76, said cam being rigidly secured to the rotary shaft 1, a link 54 connected with the arm 52, a lever 56 connected with the link 54, and a cam 60 rigidly secured to the shaft 1 for acting upon the lever 56 and thereby swinging the arm 52.

17. The combination with a folding bed carried by a rocking support, together with means for rocking said support, of a presser plate H carried by arms 10, 10 pivotally secured at the rear of the folding bed, an arm 11 secured to the pivotal support of the arms 10, 10, a link 12 connected with the arm 11, a lever 13 pivotally secured to the rocking support for the folding bed, and a cam 19 for actuating the lever 13.

18. The combination with a folding bed and rocking support therefor, of means for swinging said support, a pair of arms 22 and 22 pivotally connected with the rocking support so as to swing transversely to the movement thereof, upper and lower folding devices mounted on each of said arms, means for swinging said rams toward and away from the folding bed during the rocking movement of said support, means for swinging the upper folding devices upwardly, backwardly and downwardly, 'and means for swinging the lower folding devices downwardly.

19. The combination with a folding bed carried by a rocking support, a rotary shaft on which said support is mounted, means for rocking said support, swinging arms 22, 22 pivotally connected at the sides of said support, lateral extensions 23 on said swinging arms, cams 26 co-operating with rollers on said extensions for swinging said arms 22, 22, upper and lower folding devices carried by each of said arms 22, 22, rotary shafts 28 carrying the upper folding devices, pinions 29 on said shaft, rocker arms 31 having gear segments meshing with said pinions, links 35 connected with the rocker arms 31, arms 36 carried by the extensions 23 and pivotally connected with the links 35, cams 39 rigidly secured to the rotary shaft 1 for actuating the links 35, cams 51 carried by the arms 31, and arms 48 actuated by said cams 51 and connected with the lower folding devices,

said devices being mounted loosely upon the shafts 28.

20. The combination with the folding plate I and nipper K, of a finger 43 on the nipper K, and a rotary cam 42 with periph eral projections for acting upon the finger 43 and opening the nipper K.

21. The combination of upper and lower folding plates provided with nippers, the upper folding plate being secured to a rotary shaft and the upper nipper being pivotally secured to the upper folding plate, and the lower folding plate being loose on said shaft and having its nipper pivotally secured to it, springs tending to keep said nippers close upon their respective folding plates, fingers carried by said nippers, and cams co-operating with'said fingers to open and close the nippers.

22. Afront gripper having a gripping jaw and a pair of co-operating gripping fingers M and N provided with-straight edge portions, in combination with means for swinging said fingers toward and away from each other,

whereby when swung outwardly said edge portions will be at an inclination to form diverging front side edges of' the diamond fold. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of July A. 1)., 1905.

EDMUND C. WESTERVELT. Witnesses:

J. WALTER OSBORN,

EDw. E. ROSENORANS. 

